


Principium

by ChameleonCircuit



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Banter, F/M, First Date, First Kiss, Flirting, Insecurity, Romance, cabone - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 11:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15338637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChameleonCircuit/pseuds/ChameleonCircuit
Summary: “You could have said something.” He laughed, giving her hands a squeeze in return before letting go, sitting back in his chair.“I would have thought it was quite obvious If you had any observational skills...” she trailed off, picking up her menu as she looked at him over her glasses.“Says the woman who’s spent the last five months unable to tell I’ve been flirting with her.” Peter mimicked her movements, picking his own menu up, pretending to study it though he was really just waiting for a response.Alex snorted. “That’s what that was?”“Oh, please,” Peter shook his head, taking a quick glance at her. “I honestly couldn’t tell if you liked me or hated me, so if anyone can’t flirt here--”“That means I was doing my job perfectly.” She sounded smug. Far too smug.





	Principium

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keraunoscopia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keraunoscopia/gifts).



> Just some fun for keraunoscopia :)
> 
> Thanks to my beta, tobeconspicuous xx

Peter could feel that familiar bubble of nervous excitement in the pit of his stomach as he took his seat at the table he’d reserved, tucked away in the back corner against the window, a perfect mix of view and privacy.

He’d chosen the place for its balance of fancy and casual. It was upscale enough to obviously be a date, while not being so upscale that it looked as though he was showing off. At least, he hoped that was the case. As he cast his eyes across the city skyline, soft instrumental music and flickering candles setting the mood, he worried it was too much.

He felt his palms grow sweaty at the thought of how badly this could go. He’d been so sure, so confident when he had booked the place and asked Alexandra Cabot to meet him here. But now he was worried she wouldn’t be interested, that all her teasing had been just that -- a senior ADA teasing a junior ADA, and nothing more. He felt they’d grown close, become good friends, and he was sure she had to have sensed his flirting for what it was. But sitting in a nice restaurant waiting for her to show, knowing that he hadn’t explicitly told her it was intended as a date, he was quickly losing his nerve.

It was too late to back out now, though. Peter felt his stomach flip at the sight of Alex tossing her hair, laughing at something before following the waiter to their table.

He almost stumbled as he took to his feet, hesitating for a moment before deciding against pulling her chair out for her, opting to instead greet her with a kiss on the cheek.

“You don’t mess about, do you?” Alex commented as she sat down.

Peter’s stomach flipped again as he took his place opposite her, studying their water glasses as the waiter filled them. He nodded his thanks before turning to look at Alex, relieved to see her smiling. “Not sure what you mean.”

“Really?” She scoffed before taking a sip of her water. “Because I heard this place was booked out for weeks.”

Peter felt his face heat up, but he flashed her a confident smile anyway. “This old place? Doubtful.”

Alex laughed, rolling her eyes, though he could see the amusement in them. “You’re telling me you didn’t pull strings?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He grinned at her before picking up the menu, mostly covering his face with it. 

He knew she was teasing, knew she was just trying to make him flustered, but that still didn’t stop him worrying about what she thought of him. He could almost hear the added, _ “Doesn’t hurt to be Ben Stone’s son,” _ tagged onto the end of her jab, even though he knew she didn’t think that.

“Relax,” Alex murmured, covering his hands with her own, forcing the menu back down to the table. “This is nice.”

He laughed softly, not quite meeting her eyes. “That’s the point.”

“Never took you for a ‘finer things’ kinda guy.” She was still holding his hands, so he turned them over, taking hold of hers in return, hoping to make her understand without words. “This is somewhere I’d take someone I was trying to impress, like a--” She broke off, a somewhat stunned look on her face. “This is a date?”

“Surprise?” Peter ran his thumb across her hand before moving to pull back, but Alex stopped him.

“Why didn’t you just say?”

Peter gave a small shrug, glancing down at their hands. “I thought it’d be obvious.”

“It’s obvious now you’ve said it,” she said with a small laugh. “I mean, I’d always hoped, but--”

“Really?” He felt hope and excitement well up inside him as he glanced up, trying to read her expression.

“Yes, really,” she said with a warm smile, giving his hands a small squeeze.

He laughed, relief filling every fiber of his being. They were on the same page. They were here, together, on a date, and it felt as though his entire life had been leading up to this. He took a moment, just to enjoy the feel of her hands in his, the feel of his heart pounding in his chest, the softness in her gaze that she seldom let people see unless it was necessary.

“You could have said something.” He laughed, giving her hands a squeeze in return before letting go, sitting back in his chair.

“I would have thought it was quite obvious If you had any observational skills...” she trailed off, picking up her menu as she looked at him over her glasses.

“Says the woman who’s spent the last five months unable to tell I’ve been flirting with her.” Peter mimicked her movements, picking his own menu up, pretending to study it though he was really just waiting for a response.

Alex snorted. “That’s what that was?”

“Oh, please,” Peter shook his head, taking a quick glance at her. “I honestly couldn’t tell if you liked me or hated me, so if anyone can’t flirt here--”

“That means I was doing my job perfectly.” She sounded smug. Far too smug.

He didn’t respond for a moment, studying the menu for a bit longer before placing it down. When he looked up, she was staring at him expectantly. “I think I’ll have the smoked salmon involtini.”

He relished in the faint blush dusting her cheeks and the uncertain way she bit her lip before he hooked his ankle around hers and leaned across the table, reaching across to take her hand again.

“You don’t have to always be on your guard with me,” he said softly, moving his hand to her face so he could tuck her hair behind her ear. “I want to know all of you.”

She sucked in a breath, leaning towards him, closing the gap between them. “You know more than most.”

“Not good enough,” he said with a grin before pressing his lips to hers, threading his fingers into the back of her hair.

He felt his heart stutter as her lips moved against his, hands reaching for his shoulders. It felt perfect, almost too perfect. He felt he could get high on that sensation alone. Instead, he broke away, still cradling the back of her head in his hand.

“Like that,” he said quietly, tilting his head towards her with a grin. “That soft look, right there. I love that.”

“I thought you loved it when I tore the defense to pieces in court,” she countered, soft smile turning to a smirk as she sat back in her chair. After a beat he felt the press of her stiletto heel pressed against the inside of his calf, digging in for a brief moment before trailing lightly up the seam of his trousers.

He cleared his throat, heat rising to his face as he took a sip of his water. “That too.”

Just as her heel reached his thigh she withdrew it, smirk still in place as she went back to looking at the menu. “The ardei umpluti sounds incredible.”

Peter let out a long, slow breath, shaking himself a little. Alex Cabot was perfect, and there she was, sitting in front of him in a nice restaurant like a dream come true, flirting like her life depended on it.

He still felt that nervous excitement at what was to come, what could happen next, but for the time being he could relax.

As much as she would let him, anyway.


End file.
